Dental tray



March 24,1942. A. H. BARTLIING 2,277,624

DENTAL TRAY Filed May 22, 1941 INVENTO 4; ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 24, 1942 UNITED STTES TENT ()FFIC E' 6 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in dental trays, particularly of the character for taking impressions of partial dentures, and for holding and setting the plastic material in the mouth.

It has been the practice heretofore for dentists to use a hydro-colloid compound for taking impressions of dentures, but this material must be thoroughly chilled, so as to solidify and set the impression. Difliculty has been encountered heretofore in adequately chilling the interior of the material, especially when it is used for taking partial impressions.

The object of this invention is to improve the construction of dental trays by providing for the proper circulation of a cooling medium in heat exchange relation not only with the outside of a quantity of impression material, but also through the interior thereof for obtaining an effective cooling thereof sufficient to accomplish the required setting of this material.

Another object of this invention is to provide for simultaneously taking upper and lower denture impressions in natural occlusion.

The attempts made heretofore to cool complete dentures have provided merely for the circulation of a cooling substance in heat exchange relation with an outer surface thereof, but these suggestions have not been practical for application to the taking of partial impressions and have not provided for the adequate cooling of the interior of the plastic material.

This invention utilizes not only side wings which embrace and hold the plastic material to enable impressions to be taken simultaneously for both upper and lower dentures, but also for the cooling of both opposite surfaces of such plastic material as well as the interior thereof, by the circulation of a cooling medium therethrough.

A preferred embodiment of the invention, together with a modification thereof, are shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the invention applied;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section therethrough partly in elevation;

Fig, 4 is a cross section therethrough on the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a detail side elevation partly in section showing the connecting pipe and its mounting in one wing;

Fig. 6 is a cross section thereof on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section through the lingual wing detached; and

Fig. 8 is a similar view through a modified form of lingual wing.

The tray is shown as constructed with an outer or buccal hollow wing I of elongated form, having a handle 2 at one end thereof. An inner or lingual wing 3 is spaced from the outer wing l, and carried by a tube ,4, extending therebetween which tube 4 is rigidly secured in a side wall of the wing l, as shown in Fig. 5. The op-- posite end of the tube 4 is screw-threaded at 5 for screw-threaded engagement with an orifice 6 (Fig. 'I) in aside wall of the wing 3.

The wings I and 3 are hollow, having chambers l and 8 therein respectively, which communicate with each other through a conduit 9 formed in the tube 4, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6. Conduits 9 and I!) are shown as formed by a transverse partition in the tube 4, which extends lengthwise thereof. One of the conduits, shown as 9, is in open communication with the chambers l and 8, while the conduit I0 is connected directly with a tube II that extends across the chamber 1 and through the opposite wall thereof and in open communication with the chamber 8. The conduit It extends to a point beyond conduit 9 to expedite the circulation of fluid into the chamber 8, thereby increasing the effectiveness of the heat exchange. A similar tube 52 is connected with the last-mentioned wall in open communication with the chamber 1. A hose is attached to each of the tubes H and I2, as indicated at I 3 and I4, respectively.

It has been the practice heretofore to use an impression material of the nature of a hydrocolloidcomposition, or other plastic compound, but thismust be cooled to obtain a proper setting thereof. In using this material with the present invention, the impression compound, designated M in Figs. 1 and 2, is placed around the pipe or tube 4 between the wings I and 3, and the tray then inserted in the mouth in such position that the tube, or pipe 4 will extend through the space S between the teeth, as shown in Fig. 2. Then when the patient closes his mouth or bites on the material, an impression is obtained therein of both the upper and lower teeth in their natural occlusion, as well as of the shape of the space S to be filled.

While the teeth are thus held in their natural position relative to each other, a cooling fluid is circulated through the hoses I3 and I4, the tubes H and I2, the conduits 9 and I0 and the chambers 1 and 8, passing in one direction through one of these conduits and being discharged through the other. This cooling fluid may be of the nature of ice water, refrigerant, or other suitable chilling substance which will supply the necessary coolness in heat exchange relation with the impression material M to solidify and harden the latter in a minimum of time.

As the cooling material passes through the pipe or tube 4, embedded in the impression material M, it serves to cool the interior thereof simultaneously with the cooling of the exterior by its contact with the hollow wings I and 3, thereby expediting the chilling action of the impression and allowing the removal of the material in the shortest possible time. This also accomplishes a complete setting of the material throughout, without danger of any distortion of the impression material upon removal from the mouth of the patient because of its being insufficiently set.

When it is desired to take an impression over a Wide area, and a large amount of impression material is required, the lingual wing may be constructed with an extended area of somewhat greater curvature, as indicated at H5 in Fig. 8, to support a comparatively greater amount of impression material.

While the invention has been described for use in connection with a cooling medium, it will be understood that it may be used with equal effectiveness with compounds that require heat to set the impression, by circulating a warming medium through the device; or by the circulation of a warming fluid, the desired state of plasticity or hardness of the impression material may be maintained.

I claim:

1. A dental tray comprising a pair of hollow wings adapted to receive an impression material therebetween, a spacing device extending between said wings in position to extend through the impression material, and means for circulating a heat exchange medium along said spacing device between the wings and through said hollow wings to provide heat exchange with the interior and exterior of the impression material around the spacing device.

2. A dental tray comprising a pair of wings adapted to receive an impression material therebetween, at least one of said wings being hollow with a chamber therein, conduits extending in side-by-side relation between said wings and secured thereto for holding the same in spaced relation, one of said conduits being in open communication at one end with said chamber and in communication at its opposite end with the other conduit for circulating a heat-exchange medium through the material between said wings and over a surface thereof, and a tube connected with the last-mentioned conduit and extending therefrom independently of the chamber.

3. A dental tray comprising a pair of hollow wings having chambers therein and adapted to receive an impression material therebetween, a pipe extending between said wings and secured thereto for holding the same in spaced relation, said pipe having a conduit extending lengthwise thereof in open communication with the respective chambers and having a second conduit extending lengthwise thereof in open communication with one of the chambers for circulating a cooling medium therethrough, and a tube connected with the last-mentioned conduit and extending therefrom independently of the other chamber.

4. A dental tray comprising a pair of hollow wings having chambers therein, a pipe extending between said wings and secured thereto for holding the same in spaced relation adapted to receive an impression material therebetween, said pipe having a conduit extending lengthwise thereof in open communication with the respective chambers and having a second conduit extending lengthwise thereof in open communication with one of said chambers for circulating a heat exchange medium therethrough, and a tube connected with the last-mentioned conduit and extending therefrom independently of the other chamber, one of said conduits extending to a point in one of said chambers beyond the other of the said conduits.

5. A dental tray comprising a pair of hollow wings having chambers therein and adapted to receive an impression material therebetween, a pipe extending between said wings and secured thereto for holding the same in spaced relation, said pipe having a conduit extending lengthwise thereof in open communication with the respective chambers and having a second conduit extending lengthwise thereof in open communication with one of the chambers for circulating a cooling medium therethrough, a tube connected with the last-mentioned conduit and extending transversely across the other chamber through the opposite side wall thereof, and a second tube connected with the last-mentioned chamber in communication therewith, one of said tubes being adapted to be connected with a source of supply and the other tube forming an outlet for the cooling medium.

6. A dental tray comprising a pair of wings adapted to receive impression material therebetween, a pipe extending between the wings and secured thereto for holding the same in spaced relation and adapted to extend through the impression material, means forming a pair of conduits in said pipe extending lengthwise thereof, means forming open communication between the conduits at one end of the pipe for circulating a heat exchange medium therethrough and through the impression material therearound.

ALFRED H. BARTLING. 

